Lighting control systems are often used to set up and/or control lighting scenes. The systems often switch/alternate between and dim luminaires, (commonly referred to as lamps or lighting devices or lighting units), and manage them in space and time. Due to the large scale and increased number of luminaires associated with these systems, there is a strong need to provide controllable and user-friendly systems. The user-friendly features of these systems often include easy programming and operation, along with simple installation processes. There is also a demand to balance this need by economic considerations. These economic considerations may be challenging to meet with an increased number of luminaires, particularly because large control systems that are predominantly digitally-based, and used to manage the increased number of luminaires, are often designed to allow the luminaires to be addressed individually in an effort to provide greater flexibility.
Lighting control systems can be integrated as a subsystem into a building management system. A lighting control network typically includes one or more lighting devices, such as, for example, electrical ballast, light emitting diode (LED) devices, and dimmers. The dimmers (or dimming control devices) must support specific interfaces (that communicate according to specific protocols) to be able to receive control inputs and dim the lights appropriately. Different luminaries often support different dimming control protocols, as follows.
Multiple standards have been developed since the early 1970's to allow standard control of light dimmers, through the use of light dimming and light control methods. The standards include, but are not limited to, 0-10VDC, 1-10VDC, AMX192, K92, A240, CMX, ECmux, Tmux, D54, and DMX512. Some of the original protocols, such as, 0-10VDC and 1-10VDC, are still in wide use today, as well as new additions, including Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI®), DALI® Color, DMX and DMX-RDM.
Race to market and cost reduction requirements have led to the creation of numerous multiplex protocols to handle the dimming devices. However, these protocols are often manufacturer-specific and include proprietary schemes related to console-to-dimmer data communication, which are used to control the dimmers. Because most of these protocols were created in the early 1980s, which coincided with increased demand in the entertainment and architectural lighting markets, dimmer-per-circuit systems became the industry standard. Years later, however, while most of the control consoles became obsolete, the dimmers were not, which has left many dimmer standard interfaces in play.
Analog point-to-point control standards 0-10V and/or 1-10V send signals to the luminaires based on changing the voltage respectively between 0-10V and 1-10V. This technology is widely used in low-complexity lighting systems. The dimmer setting is often signaled via a separate control line. Controllers, such as electrical controllers, are used to regulate the output of light from the luminaire. Since this type of electrical control is not addressable, the control circuit for the control line must be electrically planned and its allocation cannot be changed. The circuits in the electrical installation determine the grouping of the luminaires. Any change of use requires a new arrangement of the connection and control lines. Feedback on lamp failure, etc., via the control lines, is not possible with the 0-10V and 1-10V technology.
The Digital Multiplexed (DMX) digital control protocol is predominantly used for stage lighting. In architectural lighting, this protocol is used for features such as media facades or stage-like room lighting effects. The data is transmitted via a dedicated 5-core cable at a transfer rate of 250 Kbits/s, which can control up to 512 channels. This protocol requires that each luminaire has an address bus. When using multi-channel devices with color control and other adjustable features, each function requires a separate address. For a long time, the data transfer was unidirectional and only enabled the control of devices. It did not provide feedback on aspects such as lamp failure. The DMX 512-A version now allows for bidirectional communication.
Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI®) is a control protocol that makes it possible to control luminaires, each luminaire having its respective DALI® protocol control gear. The system may allow user-friendly light management in architecture and may also be integrated as a subsystem into modern building control systems. It often includes a two-wire control line with a transfer rate of 1.2 Kbits/s, each wire being able to run together with a main supply cable in a 5-core cable. The bidirectional system may allow feedback from the luminaires on different aspects, such as, for example, lamp failure. The DALI® protocol often limits the number of devices to 64. The standard version stores the settings for a maximum of 16 luminaire groups and 16 light scenes within the control gear. Amongst other features, the DALI® protocol supports emergency testing with feedback on the life of the battery.
Many manufacturers are providing protocol converters between one-to-one and more protocols; however, the converters need to be set to a specific protocol. The setup is often done manually or at a factory. Some digital controllers are connected to computer systems or to a console, which may allow the setup to be done in the console and to be sent to the controller. A disadvantage with this arrangement is that the setup is often complex and includes numerous variables associated with it, such as the number of luminaires connected in a group and the desired effect associated with the dimming of the light, sensor information, ambiance, color temperature, and more.
The large number of LED and electric ballast devices installed in a customer site requires the installer to either limit the dimming protocols to a manageable number (most likely one) or to be able to support a plurality of dimming protocols. The act of limiting the dimming protocols also limits the options for customers to find alternative manufacturers and reduce cost of installation and maintenance. Further, allowing multiple dimming protocols causes maintenance and installation challenges, particularly because each new lighting device and/or change of a lighting device, needs to be introduced to a network of controllers and managed. One cannot simply install the new lighting device without proper network management, or the desired dimming results in that area will be impacted.
What is instead desired is a system that permits a user to simultaneously control a plurality of different luminaires regardless of the fact that each luminaire may be operated according to a different operating protocol system. Such a system would allow an end-user/customer to simultaneously use multiple standard protocols for lighting dimming and lighting control needs.
Further, there is a need for a system and method that provides lighting dimming and lighting control without requiring the identity of the specific protocols to be known by the operator or set prior to, or during, manual installation. Accordingly, the exemplary systems disclosed herein may automatically detect which protocols are in use and use these different protocols to control the operation of luminaires to provide enhanced customer satisfaction in a plurality of industries such as healthcare, fitness, retail, home and entertainment industries.
As such, there is thus a need for a system and a method that is dimming protocol agnostic (e.g., open to any protocol) to allow multiple different dimming protocols to coexist in a lighting network. The exemplary disclosed system allows customers to be device agnostic (e.g., able to select a variety of, or any, lighting device) in choosing the dimming protocols of their LEDs and/or electrical ballasts. As a result, customers can install a single network that can support multiple dimming interfaces and install any luminaire(s) that fit. When a new LED system or electrical ballast is installed, the gateway can be simply fitted via a simple adapter to the new/different and correct dimming interface and/or protocol that is handled by the lighting device, thus allowing a smooth transition between protocols with no need for an operator or manual intervention or change in the network.
Moreover, existing systems do not have the ability to cope well with failure. Specifically, if one component in the system fails, the entire control system typically needs to be replaced. In contrast, as will be shown, the exemplary disclosed gateway has a modular design such that its various internal components can be individually removed and replaced (even when the system is powered and operating). Moreover, these gateway components can recognize the identities of one another such that continuous operation can be achieved and components can be replaced on the fly. It would also be desirable for the system to inform the operator if a dimming command is not being executed properly and/or the control module sending the dimming command needs to be replaced.